What equipment do I actually need in a kitchen?

Kitchens accumulate single-purpose equipment that is used once. A small number of good general-purpose items handles the overwhelming majority of cooking, and buying those well is better value than buying many things cheaply.

What you'll need

• A budget (optional)
• Storage space (optional)

Step by step

1. Buy one good chef's knife.Around 20cm. It does almost every cutting job in a kitchen. This is the single item most worth spending on, and it lasts decades.
2. Add a small paring knife and a serrated bread knife.Three knives covers everything. A large block of knives is mostly decoration and they blunt each other in storage.
3. Buy a large wooden or plastic chopping board, plus one for raw meat.Larger than feels necessary — most home boards are too small, which is why food ends up on the counter.
4. Buy one heavy frying pan.Cast iron or heavy stainless. It holds heat, which is what makes browning possible. A thin pan cannot sear anything.
5. Add a non-stick pan for eggs and fish.Accept it as a consumable — coatings wear out. Buy a mid-price one and replace it when it stops working rather than buying an expensive one.
6. Buy two saucepans with lids and one large pot.A small and a medium saucepan, plus a large pot for pasta, stock and soup. That covers essentially all hob cooking.
7. Add a roasting tin, a baking sheet, a sieve and digital scales.Scales in particular. Volume measurement is the largest source of inconsistency in home cooking and baking.
8. Buy the rest only when a recipe demands it twice.Single-purpose gadgets are the main source of kitchen clutter. If you have wanted it twice, it is probably worth having.

Tips

• Second-hand and restaurant supply shops sell durable, plain, inexpensive equipment that outlasts most domestic ranges.
• Tongs, a fish slice, a wooden spoon, a silicone spatula and a ladle cover essentially all utensil needs. Everything else is duplication.
• Buy heavy rather than pretty. Weight in a pan means heat retention, which is what determines whether you can cook properly in it.

Common mistakes

• Buying a large knife block set — Most of the knives go unused and they blunt against each other. Three good knives is more useful than twelve mediocre ones.
• Buying thin lightweight pans — They cannot hold heat, so anything you put in them drops the temperature and steams instead of browning.
• Buying single-purpose gadgets — Most are used once and then occupy a drawer for years. Wait until you have wanted it twice.

Questions people ask